30 Loving Hates
by Sakura Sango
Summary: Itachi and Neji stories each with a kiss somehow. Watch the love they share and the hate that they can feel at times when they fight. 30 different stories for lj community 30 kisses
1. Blood Red Eyes

Title: Blood Red Eyes.  
Author: Sakura Sango  
Pairing: Itachi/Neji  
Fandom: Naruto  
Theme: # 19. Red 赤  
Rating: G  
Disclaimer: I don't own it nor do I imply that I do. I am only borrowing the Naruto characters and world for my fun, only to return them once I have had my fill of them. (Though they may be slightly more wrinkled/torn/disturbed/or whatever else then when I took them.)  
A/N: Alright this came to me suddenly and wouldn't let go so I had to write it, I only hope it's good enough for this pairing. Please tell me what you think.

_x-x-x-_

Neji had always hated the color red.

It had always haunted him as a child, reminding him of blood. He always refused to wear it, even when Hinata would hold up a beautiful silk shirt for him to try on when they were younger. The boy would shake his head backing up slowly until he reached the door, always leaving a hurt girl to stare at where he had been.

For Neji red always brought a deeply inner fear out of him...A fear of blood. The ninja never told another living soul of the fear he harbored, even when he was young. A ninja to be scared of blood! Neji could hear the taunts that would have rang so loudly. A ninja that would shed the blood of others and be covered in his own.

When he saw a robin with a deeply crimson breast, Neji never saw a beautifully colored bird. Instead he only saw a small bird that had blood gushing from his chest. Neji had learned over the years to hide his reactions to the color. Soon he had learned to steel himself against the real thing too; Neji learned to never flinch when he saw blood gush from a wound, to hold back that gag reflex when he tasted his blood from a punch that had jolted his teeth. He learned to steady himself before he forced the final blow that would cause blood to fly from his enemy.

But as ready as Neji had made himself, he was unprepared for what a pair of red eyes would do to him.

The first time he had seen Itachi, Neji barely looked towards the covered ninja. He was on a mission to the battlegrounds and random people along the way were no worry for him. The ninja radiated of power- but so did almost everyone else in the town- but he seemed content enough on not provoking an attack. So Neji passed by him, casting a quick enough glance at the other's face to notice blood red eyes.

The silver eyed teen shuddered as he glanced quickly back at the ground; those eyes had been too close to the color of blood. More then any shirts that Hinata had given him, more then the red-breasted Robins he saw flying around. But it had not mattered to him.

But as time went on, Neji noticed the red eyed ninja around more and more. Most of the time he stood off to the side, staring into the town from the gates. And he noticed every time he saw those eyes, the initial disgust he felt, melted away until all that was left was wondering.

Wondering why he had such red eyes, who he was, and why he always stood by the town's gates.

Day by day he found a reason to get closer to those eyes...A mysterious cat that somehow found a way to jump the impossibly high walls. A false threat that Neji 'thought' he felt.

Always he gave the red eyed ninja a side glance, forcing himself to look into his eyes.

Then one day it happened, Neji was unable to give a good reason why he was standing next to Itachi.

"What do you want?" The taller ninja spat barely giving Neji a second look.

Neji had no tale to tell...So he stood there, shrugging his shoulders, looking off to the side, pretending to be bored.

Itachi had shook his head before disappearing into the thick woods beyond the gates.

And that had started it all. From that point on the two would hang out, neither would talk at first. Each spending the time in their own thoughts. Neji would loose himself in Itachi's eyes while Itachi would stare into the village in silence.

Slowly as time went on the two would begin to form a relationship. At first they talked about stupid things...Neji would talk about what had happened the day before. Itachi would tell stories of his family and his brother...Long ago stories. The stories always were sad, and if Neji was more inclined to show his emotions he would have cried at some of them.

That had been four months ago. And what a weird way to meet each other, almost like those 'how I meet your mom' on crack moments. They no longer stood along the gates of Kohona. Instead taking refuge deep in the middle of the woods where no one would happen upon them. Neji had learned two months ago that Itachi was a missing nin- though his crimes remained hidden. Itachi's status never fazed Neji- he never thought of turning the taller ninja in. Something in those red eyes would never have allowed him to.

_x-x-x-_

Standing in the middle of the forest Neji glanced over at Itachi, who was resting on the ground, his left leg bent so that his knee was at chin height. His arm rested lightly on his knee. Neji knew that this was the most rested the other would ever allow himself to be. Tired of the silence that was looming between the two of them, Neji walked over to the giant tree, sitting next to Itachi.

"Can you promise to keep a secret?" Neji stared at his clenched hands, out of the side of his eye Neji saw Itachi nod slightly. Breathing deeply he added, "And promise not to laugh." Another nod.

"Alright, remember when we first used to meet inside the gates. I always had some lame excuse for why I was around where you were." Itachi grunted in agreement at the lameness of the excuses, smirking Neji lightly slapped at the other's arm before continuing, "The real reason I always hung around was I was looking at your eyes." Neji leaned against the rough bark his eyes searching the branches above. "Your eyes are red," Neji glanced over at Itachi's eyes, staring at them as he continued, "and red is the one color I used to hate. It always brought a fear of blood to me. A stupid fear considering I'm a ninja. But still... I learned to hide it, but your eyes just struck me. I mean they are the closest to blood that I had seen in a while."

Itachi blinked at the confession, slightly confused at what brought it on. "Do you still feel that way about red?"

"Hmm," Neji looked back up at the branches as he tried to think of an answer, one that would not sound as lame as the excuses he used to come up with or as wimpy as his fear of the color red. Pushing himself to his knees, Neji smiled as he stared into Itachi's eyes. "No, not anymore. Now I can think of red as something else then red. I can connect the color red with your eyes." Leaning forward he pressed his lips to Itachi's in an awkward kiss.

Itachi could tell that it was the teen's first real kiss that he had shared. Gently he brought a hand up, his thumb caressing the back of Neji's head as he gently took lead on the kiss. Slowly he pulled away, enough to let Neji gasp for air before bringing their lips together again. Neji grasped Itachi's shoulder, squeezing it lightly as he moaned into the newly started kiss. Pulling away Neji stared at the blood red lust filled eyes.

"Mmm, yeah now I can think of red eyes that I love to stare at all day long." Leaning forward Neji brought his lips back to Itachi's drowning in another soul searing kiss.

_x-x-x-_

For some reason I just don't like how this one turned out. It just seems off somehow. Hmm...Wanna tell me what you think?


	2. Passion

Title: Passion.  
Author: Sakura Sango  
Pairing: Itachi/Neji  
Fandom: Naruto  
Theme: # 10. 10 and # 3. Jolt! ユル！  
Rating: PG-15 or R (I really think its one of these two.)- whatever you would rate a strong lime and kinda fade away  
Disclaimer: I don't own it nor do I imply that I do. I am only borrowing the Naruto characters and world for my fun, only to return them once I have had my fill of them. (Though they may be slightly more wrinkled/torn/disturbed/or whatever else then when I took them.)  
**Warnings:** Lime, fade away before lemon, suggestive material, yaoi (M/M)- don't like don't read  
A/N: Ok so when you find out that your pairings are in danger of being deleted and you're tryin to think of ideas let me state it is NOT good to watch a Ai no Kusabi AMV It brings the plot bunnies to ya like crazy! Though that may be good in a rush fic...

_x-x-x-_

It had only taken ten weeks for Itachi and Neji to decide to take their relationship further. Though the move had started innocent enough with the two kissing, their hands tangled in each other's long, wind knotted hair.

Sure enough the kisses became more as their desires got the best of them, their hands gripping the tangled hair harder. Lust and desire fueled their kisses as Itachi pushed Neji- not so gently- against the trunk of the tree that they had been sitting under. Gasping at the sudden jolt of his head against the tree Neji pulled away long enough to glare at his lover before pulling the taller boy into another kiss.

Sliding over the smaller ninja, Itachi straddled the boy, his hands already working to rid him of his shirt. Neji pulled at the long jacket growling as the fabric refused to co-operate with his efforts as he tugged desperate to feel the skin underneath.

Smirking Itachi broke away, his hands covering Neji's as he slowed the frantic tugs, helping the ninja separate the buttons and sliding the offending cloth off muscular arms.

Leaning down Itachi bypassed Neji's swollen lips, instead opting to trail soft kisses down his cheek to his neck. Reaching the hallow of his throat, Itachi pulled away slightly his lips ghosting Neji's shoulder, making the boy shudder at the touch.

Pulling away Itachi pressed his lips against Neji's in a chaste kiss before pulling away his forehead resting against the cold metal of Neji's protector. Hands reached up, gently tugging the knot free as he let the object fall to the ground, watching as it bounced lightly on ground before coming to a rest next to the two half clothed bodies.

No words were spoken as Itachi lifted up off of Neji's lap spreading his legs enough to slide the ninja off of the tree lying him flat on the hard ground. White met red as the two stared at each other, silently asking if they were ready and answering that they were.

After all they had been waiting for ten weeks now for it to be ok by both.

Lying on top of Neji, Itachi captured those delicious lips again, faintly grabbing the taste of the ninja's lunch earlier that afternoon as his tongue plunged into Neji's ready mouth.

Slowly Itachi slid down, hands and lips trailing down the boy's perfect body, tasting and memorizing every part. Reaching the waist band of his pants, Itachi stared into Neji's eyes, waiting to see if he wanted to stop. Receiving nothing but whimpers at the loss of the touch, Itachi continued down.

Neji cried as he arched his back, eyes closing.

Here in the forest they could be louder then if they were in the village.

And Neji took that opportunity as he lost himself in pleasure.


	3. A Normal Relationship

Title: A Normal Relationship.  
Author: Sakura Sango  
Pairing: Itachi/Neji  
Fandom: Naruto  
Theme: #11. Gardenia くちなしの花  
Disclaimer: I don't own it nor do I imply that I do. I am only borrowing the Naruto characters and world for my fun, only to return them once I have had my fill of them. (Though they may be slightly more wrinkled/torn/disturbed/or whatever else then when I took them.)

_x-x-x-_

Neji stood across the street from the flower shop glancing at it occasionally. There in the window was the newest flowers of the season. And all Neji could do was stare at the beautiful colors.

Already he had found the perfect flower, a beautiful white gardenia. It sat in a small vase, perched on the shop's windowsill, displaying it's beauty to the rest of the world. Though he was no flower expert, Neji knew that that flower would be sold soon, most likely to be given to someone's lover as a present. It was just too beautiful to stay in the small, cluttered shop for long.

He wanted to run in there and grab it before anyone else did. To be able to sneak it to his lover in the forest, as a gift. Nothing special. Just a flower to show how much he loved him. But his pride kept him rooted to the spot, staring at the flower.

He knew if he was to walk in there it would be the talk amongst everyone he knew. There would be whispers behind his back and rumors would fly. Then people would try to follow him, to find out who this lucky girl was. For it could not be his family. And if people were to start following him trying to find who he loved Neji would have to leave Itachi in the forest alone, fearing that they would be found.

Neji clenched his eyes shut shaking the horrible thoughts from his mind. No he couldn't risk it. There was too much at stake. He already knew he was pushing his luck by being around Itachi but to actually draw attention to it. No it was more then what he could do.

Sighing the teen opened his eyes again, staring longingly at the flower. Even still he would have loved to have given him the flower. Just to be able to feel a little more normal in the relationship.

It was too bad that he could not draw better then stick figures, Neji reasoned as he stared at the flower. If he had been any kind of artist he could have drawn the flower on a small piece of paper and given it to Itachi. Though Neji reasoned, that it would have seemed a little odd to give a folded piece of paper with a flower drawn on it. Especially with his drawing skill.

Leaning against the building behind him Neji closed his eyes again, his mind picturing the flower in great detail. In his mind he had boldly walked into the shop barely glancing at Ino as he walked over to the flower. There, in his imagination, the price did not matter- he had enough for it- and he bought the flower without a second thought. He carefully wrapped it in a thin paper, careful to not muss the beautiful petals , but at the same time protect it from the dust. After all such a beautiful flower as this deserved to be protected from the elements outside.

He would carefully walk out the gates, flower in hand as he darted from view. No one would follow him, deciding that he would tell who the lucky person was later when he thought it was right.

In his mind he could see himself walking up to the silent Itachi, the taller man would be staring at the sky through the branches- a common hobby of his lately. Smiling Neji would carefully unwrap the flower, fingers brushing against the petals, making sure that they were smooth and in order. Then he would proudly hold the flower up to Itachi, who would look at the flower surprised.

"A gift for you because I love you so much," Neji would whisper, afraid to break the silence as he stared into the crimson eyes before him.

"Aw," Itachi would walk closer to the teen, a small smile on his face, "Thank you Neji." Carefully he would grab the flower pressing it up to his nose before holding it out for Neji to smell.

And he would lean forward, and even though he had smelt the flower the whole way there, he would smile while sniffing the beautiful scent.

Leaning closer Itachi would close in the space, pressing his lips against Neji's in a soft kiss, a Thank You kiss. They both would decide to just sit together arms wrapped around each other as they stared at the forest before them, talking about whatever they felt like.

Shaking his head again, Neji woke himself up from his musings. '_Man,_' he thought while scratching his head, '_I must have been listening to Tenten too much to get that mushy. What would they do if they ever found me being that lovey._' Neji turned away from the flower shop, deciding there was too many things that could go wrong for him to chance it.

Pausing Neji stared at the flower in the window again. Besides... Smiling Neji shook his head before heading to the training field.

'_Hell, besides what says that Itachi would want something like a flower? He's never been that kind of person._'

Neji just had to face it, he did not have a normal relationship. And probably never would.

_x-x-x-_

New twist on the kiss. Sorry I just couldn't think of a way to make this work, except for this. Also sorry if Neji seemed out of character in his mind. But who knows what he imagines while walking around. Feel free to tell me what ya thought of it!


	4. Bar Tales

Title: Bar Tales.  
Author/Artist: Saku (arizonaicerose)  
Pairing: Itachi/Neji  
Fandom: Naruto  
Theme: 14. radio-cassette player; ラジカセ  
Disclaimer: I don't own it nor do I imply that I do. I am only borrowing the Naruto characters and world for my fun, only to return them once I have had my fill of them. (Though they may be slightly more wrinkled/torn/disturbed/or whatever else then when I took them.)  
A/N / Warnings: **AU.** Ok so I looked and saw my pairing was on the deletion list, gulping I quickly wrote this out. Hopefully it's ok for a rush job. Hopefully this counts kinda a radio.  
Also for pairings there's yaoi (duh), het mentioned and a mentioning about soon yuri. Don't yell now that I told you about it.  
(sorry for the crappy title, I drew a complete blank...)

_x-x-x-_

The bar reeked of old beer and sweat. The dusty lights barely lit up the room, casting dirty shadows against the walls and tables that littered the small room. Off to the side was a long bar, a lone silver haired man leaning against the wooden top as he stared at the patrons. This shabby bar became his baby after his dad had killed himself. Kakashi had taken on the task, feeling that it would be fun for him to try to continue the small, run-down bar.

Though the patrons were few, they were consistent. Only a group, that he had learned to know personally, hung out here. Making it feel more like an extension of his home. And it helped make him feel that even though the small bar was failing, that even though it was run-down, and in major need of a fixing up, it was loved by someone other then himself. And that made him happy. This was his family.

Black eyes swept around the room. In the corner were the inseparable duo- Sakura and Ino. They had been friends throughout their childhood, never separating, even when petty high school fights over boyfriends took the hormonal girls by storm. Smiling they waved to Kakashi before turning back to their drinks.

In the other far corner, hidden by the dust and furniture were the two 'ubberly cute love birds' as so named by the fellow patrons. Naruto and Hinata. Two people that Kakashi had personally pushed together; especially after seeing, after the first stop, just how apparent their love for each other was. Just last week they had announced that they were getting married and everyone was invited- much to the joy of everyone.

Well every one except for Sasuke, the bar's self-acclaimed emo drunk. In fact the said boy was right now sitting hunched back over a tall glass, staring at it's contents as though it held the answers to the world in it. Sadly, no matter how hard Kakashi tried, in the ever cliché role of bartender, he could not get the dark haired boy to spill his guts over why he was so downcast all the time.

Off at the end of his bar was a group of unlikely friends, though everyone here was a friend. The four of them sat huddled about, a deck of cards sitting between them as they played 'Go Fish.' They were also the only non-drinkers in the whole bar. Instead they decided to sit in the quiet bar, playing card games until Kakashi decided it was time to kick them out.

And by the looks of it, it was going to be early tonight. Within the group, Lee and Shikamaru were very competitive, meaning that chairs would be broken if he allowed them to stay for too long- especially if Lee was loosing. Which by the look on his face was very much true at the moment.

Sighing Kakashi focused on the other two in the group. The two almost silent members. If it wasn't for Lee and Shikamaru he would probably end up locking them in the bar every day. Choji looked like he had given up on the game, his cards sitting haphazardly in one hand as the other dove eagerly into the pretzel bowl. If it wasn't for his weight, Kakashi would have assumed that the boy never ate outside of here.

Tenten on the other hand, had her nose buried in a small book, her eyes squinting to read the black letters in the dim light. Her cards lying face up, a self-appointed rule that Lee had made soon after she started pulling out books to read during the long card game nights. Biting the edge of her lip the young girl eagerly turned the page, her small eyes moving as fast as she possibly could. Blushing the girl pulled the book a little closer to her, as though to keep prying eyes away. Wearily Kakashi reminded himself to check what book she was reading later on.

Glancing around he noted that two of his patrons were missing, the other two love birds of his group (though it wasn't to say that more were soon to come. He knew how much Sakura loved Ino, and it was only a matter of time before she told what everyone already knew).

Sighing Kakashi pulled out the bowl of quarters that he allowed constant patrons to use for the small jukebox in the corner. He knew that soon the silent atmosphere was going to be broken. Somehow it was too good to be true that he could have one silent night. No pounding music, no loud screaming, no crashing of tables. It was weird how two of the quietest people could become such loud, partying drunks. Especially if they were in the 'mood.' Praying to every deity that he could name, Kakashi prayed that they had had their fun before deciding to come.

However he could tell that was nothing more then a dream as the two entered. They each carried a gleam in their eye. A gleam saying just how much they wanted to party.

Itachi strode in first, his eyes darting around the room, before pausing on his younger brother. When around they rarely spoke, only making eye contact long enough for Sasuke to duck his eyes down again. Something told Kakashi that they had had a nasty fight long ago. Something that could not be wiped away with a couple of drinks.

Itachi wore his normal attire, a long black trench coat that went down to his knees, underneath could be seen a mesh shirt, barely poking into view at the V in his neck line. Black leather pants and black combat boots sealed the deal. Along with his black hair and crimson eyes, he looked very intimidating. Especially when he stared at you silently, eyes gazing through his upper lashes. However Kakashi had learnt that, unless you hurt his boyfriend, he was gentle as a kitten, the scary look was nothing more then that. A look.

Behind him, though betrayed by the gleam in his eyes, walked a timid looking Neji. The boy always seemed so timid, so ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. Smiling he spared a wave to several of his friends before walking towards the bar. His arms crossed over the smooth surface, chin buried in his arms. Eyes glanced, quite cutely- Kakashi had to admit, through his long lashes as he sighed. Dressed in bleach faded blue jeans and a simple dark blue long sleeved shirt with a dragon on the front- he looked like the total opposite of his lover.

Silently Kakashi pushed the worn plastic bowl of quarters over to Neji, before walking back towards the long bottles of beer. Grabbing two dusty bottles he sat them next to the boys smiling before turning away. Pausing mid step Kakashi looked back, "Just don't destroy the bar tonight."

Smirking Itachi grabbed a small handful of quarters tossing them at the silver haired man, earning a shocked squeak from Neji as he pulled the bowl closer to his chest.

"Don't waste them all!" Neji whined as he jumped off of the stool, still hugging the quarters to his chest the boy ran for the jukebox. "You promised we would dance remember!" A whine was slowly entering Neji's voice as he leaned against the bright orange machine. "You promiiiiiised." Puffing out his lower lip, Neji lowered his head, his eyelashes fluttering suggestively as he held up a quarter. "Remember all the fun you promised me tonight if I came! I gave up my favorite show for the fun." Biting his lip, Neji continued, "I mean you said after here we'd spend the whole night having fun, especially in the bedroom!"

"EW! T.M.I!" Sakura squealed as she pressed her hands against her ears. "No more! I don't wanna hear about it!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes, a sigh that almost bordered on a groan fell from his lips before he could stop himself.

Smirking Itachi looked over, "What jealous? Wanting some of me?" Itachi asked, blowing a kiss to the weary bartender.

"Itachiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii."

"Just joking! Ok choose the songs!" Itachi smiled as he grabbed the two bottles heading towards a small empty table. Whistling he pushed a couple of the other empty tables around, making a small square- just big enough for the two to dance the night away.

Loud music filled the small bar as Neji smirked triumphantly placing the bowl on top of the jukebox. His hips swaying lightly as he walked towards his lover. Smiling he pressed himself against the firm body of his lover. Wrapping a leg around Itachi's Neji pressed his hip against his lover before pulling away.

As the music filled his veins Neji danced around the small square, his hips swaying sexily. His hands brushing against his chest, fingers dancing around taunt muscles. A seductive smirk crossing the boy's face.

Swallowing hard Itachi tried to tear his eyes away from his lover. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't. The taller boy just stood motionless, jaw hanging open. No matter how many times he watched Neji dance, every time was like the first. His heart would start to race. Palms sweat. As his breaths started to speed up, the boy tried his hardest to keep his body under control. Despite how wild they usually were, Itachi knew that if they were to start screwing in the bar...

Well something in his gut- right next to the part that screamed for Itachi to grab Neji and toss him onto the nearest empty table- knew that he would end up kicked out of a bar. And probably a bill for several therapist visits for his friends.

Gulping again Itachi stepped a little closer his hand reaching out. Pale fingers slid across an even paler cheek. Slowly he pulled his smaller lover closer. Bending his head down Itachi kissed Neji deeply on the lips, his tongue snaking out pressing lightly against his lover's lips. Eagerly Neji opened letting the tongue glide in slowly. Moaning Neji's eyes rolled back as tangled his fingers in the dark ebony hair.

Slowly the two pulled away as Itachi wrapped his arm around Neji's waist. Pulling his boyfriend against his body Itachi began to lead the next dance. At that moment everyone and everything else in that small, dank bar disappeared. The jukebox changed to a slower song, the beat easy for the two to dance close together.

Holding hands, body to body the two danced. Their eyes glowing with the love they felt for each other. Huge smiles plastered on both of their faces.

Two bottles of beer sat opened but untouched on a nearby table. Drops of condensation slowly dripping onto the wooden table. By tomorrow when Kakashi cleaned up the bar, there would be two water marks showing where the bottles had sat untouched for the whole night.

But for the moment even that did not matter as the two danced, smiles on their faces as the stared into each other's eyes.


	5. Notice!

Title: Notice.

Author: Sakura Sango

Pairing: Itachi/Neji

Fandom: Naruto

Theme: # 2 news; letter :音沙汰

Rating: G

Disclaimer: I don't own it nor do I imply that I do. I am only borrowing the Naruto characters and world for my fun, only to return them once I have had my fill of them. (Though they may be slightly more wrinkled/torn/disturbed/or whatever else then when I took them.)

A/N: Sorry for any errors, I'm typin this one handed while holding an icepack to my jaw.

x-x-x-

Staring at the paper in his hands, Neji shook his head in disbelief. Fumbling slightly the ninja crumpled up the paper, stuffing it in his pocket before walking out of the building.

'There's no way. He can't be...No he can't.' But the dire feeling would not leave. After all it was an official document, meaning it was true. Signed, dated and placed for all ninja's to see.

Neji had known that he was a missing ninja, that much was easily figured out after a week of them officially dating. But he had figured it was some minor offense. He left his duty; decided to leave his village for personal reasons. There were many reasons to become a missing ninja, and not all of them were as awful as this.

Gritting his teeth, Neji turned towards the gates, snarling at the guards that stood before it about a false mission he was assigned. Once out of sight of anyone in the village Neji made a sharp turn to the right before running deep into the forest. Jumping among branches, he kept a hand to his pocket, keeping the paper from falling out. He wanted to know. To understand. If nothing else understand why he was never told, especially after so long of being together.

'Dating it could be called', Neji mused as he jumped to a thick branch, pausing long enough to grab the paper again (he had to be sure it was the right face and name), 'though our dates seem to be weirder then normal.'

Smoothing out the paper, Neji glanced over the words, sighing as they remained the same as the other twenty times he had read it. He could recite it perfectly now- the charges, the info, the warnings. All of it.

Yet somehow the innocent child in him prayed and hoped that it had changed. That the name was wrong- it was same spelling but maybe different pronunciation.

It could still be possible that it was the same name, but a different person. It was possible, wasn't it?

Neji hoped so.

Sighing he continued on to their secret meeting spot. He'd be a little early but that was ok.

_x-x-x-_

Itachi stared at the crinkled paper, less then interested in what it said. Sighing he balled it up tossing it over his shoulder. Shrugging he walked away from the stiff teen refusing to answer the question he had been assaulted with as soon as he appeared.

Still Neji stared, refusing to move or back down. He wanted to hear it from Itachi's mouth, to see what he would say or do. To hear his deep voice agree to the charges on the paper.

Feeling the piercing glare from behind Itachi sighed, bringing a hand to his temple. How was it this little runt could make him stay so long? To make him actually try to work everything else. With anyone else he would have left long ago. Especially after such annoying times, like this paper deal. What was the big deal anyways.

"Fine," Neji jumped at Itachi's voice, surprised that he was actually going to hear him talk. Somehow the boy had assumed that Itachi was just going to walk off without ever speaking. Standing still he waited to hear what his lover was going to say next.

Sighing Itachi continued, still facing away from Neji, "It's all true there. You should know that much. Use your brain, I know you know how. What do you want me to say? Do you want me to go on about how confused I was at the time. How distraught? How I wish I could take it all back?" Itachi looked over his shoulder, his eyes as cold as always, "because if so you're going to be disappointed. I was not confused and I'm not sad over what I did. I did what I had to do."

Neji gasped the words hitting him like a knife to the heart. An icy knife. Eyes wide he stammered trying to put into words what he felt. There were so many questions and so little time in their lives to ask them all. Finally after stumbling over nonsense the teen shut his mouth, his eyes lowering to the rumpled paper. Eyes narrowed as he wished he could just set the paper on fire, destroying the evidence.

"If they are handing these out that means they know I'm around." Itachi glanced around the dense forest, before turning around to face his younger lover. "We should not see each other again for a while."

Neji shook his head, his mouth falling open. How could he suggest not seeing each other? So what if they found out!

"Use your brain Neji!" Itachi snapped, refusing to let emotions rule his mind or his lover's. "You need to go back and stay away for a while."

"B-b-but why? I can run with you, then you don't have to come near here again. Not if I'm with you." Neji protested, his hands clenching tightly.

"I'm not saying it again. Use. Your. Head!" Neji could almost swear the crimson eyes glowed violently as Itachi glared at him. "If you come too, you'll become a missing nin. Especially when they find out you ran away with me. When that happens what will happen to you?"

Neji remained silent, eyes falling to the ground below.

Itachi continued a little softer, "But if you go back and stay away for a while. What proof do they have. Let the papers die away a little. Over time we'll be able to meet again." Itachi glanced at the setting sun. Where had this day gone, he wondered silently. Glancing at the moon he continued, "on the night of the new moon we'll meet here again." Itachi stared at this lover, wondering if he would agree to it. The new moon was a couple weeks away, would he agree to stay away that long.

Glancing up at the sky Neji nodded slowly. This was the only way, as much as he hated it. Itachi was right he couldn't run away. It would do nothing but cause trouble for him and his family. This way they still could be together but being caught would be nearly impossible. "Fine, but when I do come back you better be here." Stuffing hands in his pockets, the ninja slowly turned to head back to his village. There was no point of standing here, delaying the inevitable.

"It's a deal." Itachi agreed before grabbing the balled up notice. It was better to not leave evidence in this spot, just in case. Without a second glance or word the taller ninja headed deep into the forests, walking as quietly as he could.

Neji paused at the edge of the tree line, glancing back long enough to blow a soft kiss to where his lover had disappeared to. Already his heart was hurting at the thought of being separated for so long. But he would wait patiently until he could come back to the forest again.

_x-x-x-_

Not too sure about the ending. But I was like- ehhh I can't find a nice ending no matter what. So I choose this one. This is a turning point for the story and yes- it's meant to be like this, so the other kisses work out (especially the last one)...


	6. Beach

Title: Beach

Author: Saku (arizonaicerose)

Pairing: Itachi/Neji

Fandom: Naruto

Theme: #29 The sound of waves 波音

Rating: G

Disclaimer:

A/N: Another AU since I didn't know how else to use this one and this sounded cute.

_x-x-x-_

"Where are we going?" Neji asked as he reached up to his eyes.

"Don't touch that," Neji's boyfriend, Itachi, taunted lightly as he swatted the boy's hands away from the bandanna

"Then where are we going?" Neji whined. It took a lot to get him to whine, but the excitement of a surprise was starting to get to him. And he was starting to get impatient waiting for the surprise to come. Especially being blindfolded.

"Na-uh, I'm not going to tell you after all the trouble I had getting that thing over your eyes." Itachi laughed as the sour face beside him. "Aww why such a face."

Stopping at a red light the taller boy leaned down, his long black hair lightly tickling Neji's neck. Smiling he pressed his soft lips against his boyfriend's in a chaste kiss before straightening up again. Leaning on his left hand Itachi continued driving, as the light changed to green. "Now, now you have to learn patience. After two years you're still as impatient as the first day we met."

"Yeah, yeah..." Neji muttered, choosing to ignore his boyfriend now. Sighing he reached up, moving away from swatting hands as he replied, "I'm not taking it off I'm just adjusting it a little. It's starting to dig into my skull."

The bandanna that had been tied around his eyes was starting to annoy Neji; he never liked having anything cover his eyes, never liked the whole idea of tying something over the eyes of another then leading them out of their comfort zone to surprise them. It could be just as romantic to just drive the person to where ever and show it to them, watching their eyes light up as they realized where they were going.

Sliding down until he was almost lying in the soft seat, Neji turned his hearing to outside the small car. Straining he tried to place the sounds that he heard. Brow furrowing he listened as hard as he could, but the scenery outside was not helping any. Neji decided it was too quiet for the boardwalk. There was not booming stereos so it wasn't in the south side of town. 'Darn,' Neji thought sourly, 'I was wanting to get a couple of drinks. Maybe loosen Itachi up a little.'

Crossing his arms, the boy sunk lower into his seat, his ears pricked to the outdoor sounds.

Itachi could not help but to smile as he stared at his lover's perplexed face. He knew that the boy would never be able to guess, even if he did state two weeks ago that he had wanted to come to this place.

_Two weeks ago, while lying in bed with his lover Itachi watching tv when a scene of a beautiful sunset on a glistening beach came on. Sighing Neji curled into a tight ball against the warm body next to him. _

_Sighing he watched the commercial play, his eyes watching the scenery before him._

_"Hey Itachi," Neji whispered, at his lover's grunt the boy continued, "Is the beach really that beautiful?"_

_Itachi leaned up on an elbow staring into the white eyes that stared at the tv. "What do you mean?" he asked, confused. "You've never been before?"_

_Neji shook his head. "No, my family was never big on trips and well..." Shrugging he paused his eyes never leaving the screen before them, "you know. What they say goes." _

_Yeah, Itachi knew. Smiling he hugged the boy close. Neji had been brought up in a sheltered environment, though he was not as naïve as what many thought, but there was still many things he had yet to experience. The beach, even though it was only an hour away, was just one of many things that he had never gotten to see in his life._

_Smiling the taller teen laid back down, the snowy pillow cradling his head. "Yeah it's that beautiful all the time."_

_Now that the commercial had finished Neji tore his eyes away snuggling next to the warm body. "I would love to go," he whispered, "just to see how beautiful it really is."_

Outside the small red car the beautiful scenery passed by as Itachi slowly left the city, taking the scenic route outside the city. The long road curved around the mountain side. To the left was the intricate carvings of multi-colored rocks. Long bushes twisted around the cracks sliding along the side, as if reaching out for the beach on the other end.

Itachi breathed deeply, almost tempted to tug off the makeshift blindfold just so his boyfriend could see the breath taking site too. Yet twitching fingers remained on the steering wheel. It would be better to completely surprise his lover later.

Crimson eyes stared off to the right, as he watched the shimmering water and the beautiful beach come closer to view. The sun was still high in the sky, promising that they could still have a wonderful time.

Pulling the car into the small outlook, Itachi turned in his seat smirking at his lover's form. Neji was curled low in the seat, legs crossed tightly at the ankle- a trademark sign that he was impatient. His arms crossed tightly around his chest and his head leaning against the door handle.

Any other person would have suspected the boy of being asleep, but Itachi knew better. Neji refused to sleep in cars, even when blindfolded.

Feeling the wind still the boy sat up, his ears perked again listening for sounds. Still hearing nothing to help he turned to Itachi.

"Where are we? Are we there?" Neji straightened, clasping his hands and pulling them behind his chair. Sighing he arched his back, popping the tense muscles in his back. His shirt slid up slightly revealing the perfect, porcelain skin hidden underneath.

Itachi swallowed hard as he stared, breathing deeply he forced himself to stay in his seat, to keep from jumping the boy right there. However he could not stop himself from leaning down, placing a gentle kiss on the well toned abs.

Gasping Neji jumped, behind the blindfold his eye widened as a blush stained his cheeks.

"I-I-Itachi," Neji whimpered as he reached out blindly trying to find his boyfriend.

Pulling away the older boy grabbed his lover's hand pulling him over for a second kiss. "Not now, maybe tonight. I have a surprise first. Stay here." Itachi whispered before sliding out of the door on his side.

Walking around the front of the car, he opened the passenger side door. Unbuckling his lover he pulled he boy out, standing behind him as he kicked the door shut.

Grasping the boy's shoulders he led him forward.

"Careful," he breathed hotly into Neji's ear, "you have stairs here." Holding the thin arms tightly he led Neji down the stairs counting each one that they had to go down.

Neji's feet shook slightly as he stepped down the stairs, trying to keep his footing while trying to listen to Itachi's warnings. The last thing he wanted to do was fall and end up in a hospital.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs Itachi suddenly tugged on Neji, a yelp escaping from the younger boy's mouth as he fell onto the warm, sturdy body behind him. Again his cheeks flushed crimson as he pulled himself upright, waiting for why he was stopped so suddenly.

"Sorry love," Itachi brushed his lips against Neji's neck, smiling against the flesh as he felt the other tremble. "But if you go any further you'll guess your surprise. I want to see your face when you see it."

Circling around Neji, the crimson eyed boy stared at his flushed lover. Leaning down he pecked the lips lightly while reaching around to untie the bandanna.

Pulling back he took the black cloth with him while watching the white eyes before him.

Blinking Neji rubbed at his eyes with the palm of his hands, trying to get used to the sudden light and weight off of his eyes.

Pulling his hands away the boy glanced around his eyes widening. Gasping he stepped forward, wide eyes taking in the sight around him. A hand slid up to his mouth as he took in the sight around him.

Before him was an immaculate, wide, sandy beach. Seashells littered the perfect sand, adding to the beauty. Further away the waves roared tossing the glittering water onto the sand, only to slide back to the giant ocean. White foam gurgled as the water was tossed around.

Swallowing Neji turned to his boyfriend, his eyes glittering with joy. Smiling widely he jumped, tossing his arms around Itachi as he wrapped his legs around the thin waist.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" He whispered, his lips teasing Itachi's ear. "It's so beautiful."

Itachi wrapped his arms around his lover, holding the teen as though he were two and carried him out into the sandy beach.

"You're welcome." Itachi smiled as he set the teen down, watching as Neji ran for the water. It was as though he had reverted in age, falling back ten years younger then what he really was.

Laughing Neji ran after the waves chasing them out into the ocean, only to run back as they came roaring back onto the beach.

Smiling Itachi watched his boyfriend play on the beach, hands stuffed in his jean pockets. He was just happy to be able to give Neji a surprise that he wanted. And something so easy too. Sometimes it surprised the dark haired teen just how easy he could please Neji.

If everything worked out right, they would stay out till sunset and maybe even later. Perhaps they even could build a small bonfire out on the beach and stay a while.

'Maybe,' Itachi thought a dark smile coming to his face, 'even have some fun tonight before heading back home.'


End file.
